Window Grilles Provide Homes Unique, Historic Touches

April 24, 2018

Spring is here, with the promise of nicer temperatures on golden and sun-filled days. It’s a smart time to think about grilles. Not the grills that cook tasty summer meals, but the grilles that can refresh the look of your home’s windows.

Window grilles are attention-getting horizontal and/or vertical bars that partition larger panes of glass into patterns. They are often used as a design throwback to when window glass could not be produced in the large sheets common today.

Back then, glass was delicate and large pieces were almost impossible to intall without breaking. The process was to create numerous small pieces of glass connected together by window grilles.

Even though today’s technology has made it possible to create windows without needing grilles, the look of windows with grilles has maintained popularity with homeowners who want a traditional or historic look for their window.

Look at any Victorian, Cape Cod or Colonial style house, for example, to see popular home architectures that might not look “right” without windows that include grilles.

History and technology meet halfway when it comes to current window grilles. You can discover a variety of options in replacement windows for grilles that not only maintain a sense of timeless style, while featuring modern conveniences.

From grilles that provide the look of individual window panes to grilles that can be taken out in order to make cleaning and maintaining window glass convenient, there are window grille options that suit almost any homeowner’s needs.

Here are some available grille types offered by Pella of Springfield, as well as benefits that come with each:

Integral Light Technology (ILT) Grilles

These grilles are for those who desire a window grille that gives a realistic look of individual windowpanes without the cost of customizing a window. Depending on the type of window, either wood, fiberglass or vinyl grilles are permanently bonded to the inside and outside of the window glass.

Some windows feature a nonglare foam spacer that then is added between the grilles to create a shadow that gives the impression of individual glass panes — creating an authentic look of true divided-light windows.

ILT grilles are a great choice for homeowners seeking windows that are an authentic complementary match for their traditional or historic style. These grilles can be provided in unfinished or prefinished stained wood, or painted and primed fiberglass or vinyl.

Simulated Divided-Light Grilles (SDL)

SDL grilles offer the same approach as ILT grilles, with grilles bonded to the inside and outside of the glass. Unlike ILT grilles, SDL grilles typically do not provide a spacer between the grille and the glass.

Removable Roomside Wood Grilles

Varying from other divided-light grilles, removable grilles are placed to the interior side of windows with latches. This allows the grilles to be uninstalled and makes cleaning the glass easier, while still giving the look of divided windowpanes in the window. Like divided-light grilles that are adhered to the window, though, removable grilles can be created in unfinished wood, prefinished stained wood or painted and primed.

Between-The-Glass Grilles

As opposed to divided-light grilles that are typically affixed on both sides of the glass or removable grilles that are secured to the roomside of the glass, between-the-glass grilles are, as the name implies, installed between the panes of insulating glass in double- or triple-paned windows.

The benefit of these grilles is that homeowners get the look of divided windowpanes while still having a smooth glass surface that’s easy to clean.

Between-the-glass grilles can be made to be removable. In windows featuring this style of grille, the space between the panes of glass, sometimes referred to as a swinging panel, can be opened in order to take out the grille for cleaning, or when cleaning the panes of glass.

With these grille options, creating a historic look doesn’t mean having to deal with old window technology. When looking to replace your home windows, check out the wide variety of grilles that are available to make the perfect combination of traditional and modern window design.